Summerside celebrates its business community at Credit Union Place

One of the 75 participants at the event, Catherine Arsenault, of the Silver Fox Entertainment Complex, was handing out fresh local Malpeque oysters to shuck.

SUMMERSIDE, PE.I. - Local business and organisations were brought together under one roof in a family-friendly day of discovery and celebration.

A pay-what-you-can entry fee allowed all members of the public to weave their way around “town” and explore a bustling marketplace atmosphere at the Credit Union Place in Summerside on Saturday.

One of the 75 participants at the event, Catherine Arsenault, of the Silver Fox Entertainment Complex, was handing out fresh Malpeque oysters to shuck.

“In the beginning of June, on the top deck at the Silver Fox overlooking the harbour, we are going to have a new oyster bar,” said Arsenault. “We will have a baked potato bar, oysters to shuck, and customers can cook their own meal using fresh local produce while overlooking the water.”

Customers will not only enjoy cooking their own dinner at the Complex, located at 110 Water Street, but also be serenaded in the process by live music.

“A new event called ‘Rock the Dock’ will take place every Friday night,” said Arsenault, who was multi-tasking and assisting people curling on a small setup in front of her table. She continued, “We will have a boat in the water next to the patio playing live music from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.”

The marketplace included pop-up commerce, food trucks and vendors with a seating area, interactive displays, and activities for the kids such as, the biggest bouncy castle on the Island.

Go Girl! Fashions and Accessories Inc. had two young models Allison Kelly and Rebecca Pike confidently showcase the store fashions and accessories around the marketplace.

“We cater to all groups from the young 20-year olds to the more mature lady, and different designer fashions,” said owner Paulette Barke, who also switched outfits from their selection and went from wearing an elegant black dress to causal-smart office attire with eye-catching accessories.

Culture Summerside, among the participants, had passersby pause for breath as history came alive through their projected movie screen in lieu of Canada’s 150th celebrations.

“What we are seeing today are characters from our past that have come back to talk about the building of Canada,” said board member Lori Ellis.

“The characters are people who have built Canada from their hands – farmers, fishermen, blacksmiths – so they are coming back to spark up conversations with contemporary society, pass on advice and information or, perhaps spark up some new dialogue about the future of Canada, she said.”

Named ‘My Canada – My Place: Projections in Nation Building,’ the history project is a creation of the Wyatt Heritage Properties Inc., in partnership with Culture Summerside, funded by Canada 150.

“People don’t suspect it,” said Ellis with a smile. “And it’s an objective to present history in new and interesting ways.”

Participants of the one-day event included P.E.I. Ground Search and Rescue, Go Girl Fashions and Accessories, Red Shores, Callbecks Home Hardware, Kool Breeze Farms, RCMP, and Prestige Home Décor, to name but a few.

Choose Summerside, presented by the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Summerside and Explore Summerside, was an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the city and its local business scene as a great place to live, work and raise a family.